A gallant Woonona outfit almost spoiled the party but Tarrawanna live to fight another day after holding on for a 1-1 draw on Sunday..
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The Blueys needed only a point at Tarrawanna Oval to qualify for the Illawarra Premier League finals .
After just 10 minutes though it looked like Tarra would secure all three points in their final round fixture of the home and away season.
But after Jake Morlando scored it was the visitors who found another gear in a desperate bid to get the win Woonona needed to make the finals.
Woonona though had to wait until the 70th minute to level proceedings through a well taken Corey Haines-Grose goal.
Tarra coach Peter Willis conceded his team didn't play particularly well.
"They had to come out and win the game and they did very well at times," Willis said.
"We scrambled really well but I thought we just didn't keep the ball well enough.
"In saying that we did score an early goal which gave us a little buffer and we hung on.
"Even when they scored we had a couple of really good chances to score."
Morlando had the best of those chances, fluffing his lines with only the keeper to beat.
But Haines-Gross and skipper Khalid Ali also missed golden opportunities late on to win it for Woonona.
"That's been the story of the tape for us. We created plenty of chances but just couldn't put them away," coach Dan McGoldrick said.
"I thought we were definitely the better team today."
Big guns fire up on IPL final day
There were no major surprises on the final day of the Illawarra Premier League season proper.
The minor premiers Wollongong Olympic, and their nearest rivals Albion Park White Eagles and Corrimal Rangers, did as expected and won their respective games.
The Rangers were perhaps the most impressive, hammering neighbours Fernhill 6-0, with Tim Wylie bagging a hat-trick of goals.
Albion Park also impressed in downing Bulli 4-2 at Balls Paddock, while Olympic grounded out a 2-1 win over fellow IPL finalists Wollongong United.
Elsewhere, South Coast United scored an injury-time winner to defeat Cringila 1-0 at Ian McLennan Park, while Port Kembla gave their home fans a treat with a 3-1 win over Coniston.
Final point standings: Wollongong Olympic (51), Albion Park White Eagles (43), Corrimal Rangers (41), Wollongong United (37), Tarrawanna (36), Woonona (35), Port Kembla (31), Bulli (24), Coniston (22), South Coast United (21), Cringila (15) and Fernhill (13).
The first week of the finals will see Albion Park play Corrimal, with Wollongong Utd battling Tarrawanna in the elimination final.
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
